Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Kev White wrote:I play my basses not collect them, they are a tool to do a job just like a mechanic would use a spanner . . .

Careful where you say that! I once said something similar, here I think, and added a comment along the same lines from Roger McGuinn. Some folks just about tore me a new one!

Regarding the tailpiece, I don't think you really have an issue either way, as long as the height screws are bottomed out somewhere. If you install a new tailpiece, you may also find that the height screws are too long as I would think they would have been replaced to compensate.

Ok, every one calm, down!! (Not you, Mr. Hall... )

My 3001 has a June 1979 jack plate. I bought it about 5 years ago, and I don't have any information regarding its prior ownership or whether it had been modified. It doesn't have any other apparent mods and it appeared to me when I bought it that it had not been played for a long time.

Anyway--- the holes through the bridge on my bass are very clean and appear to be chromed on the inside. But I'm no expert - you can decide for yourself - here are 2 photos showing the holes in question, from the underside:
P.S., the height screws on my 3001 are indeed quite a bit longer than on my 4001 and 3000 (neither of which have the holes drilled out).

Kev White wrote:I play my basses not collect them, they are a tool to do a job just like a mechanic would use a spanner

So get a 2x4 and screw a neck with some pickups onto it.

The electric guitar is a rather simple instrument when you break it down into it's base components, the rest is all flair because we like to look good while playing.

daveman wrote:Ok, every one calm, down!! (Not you, Mr. Hall... )

My 3001 has a June 1979 jack plate. I bought it about 5 years ago, and I don't have any information regarding its prior ownership or whether it had been modified. It doesn't have any other apparent mods and it appeared to me when I bought it that it had not been played for a long time.

Anyway--- the holes through the bridge on my bass are very clean and appear to be chromed on the inside. But I'm no expert - you can decide for yourself - here are 2 photos showing the holes in question, from the underside:

...also I once had drilled through a tailpice, when I wanted to modify the bridge .
I don't think that there ever has been such a original "look through" tailpiece at the alan screw holes for the bridge! With nice drilling it might look as if the hole has been chromed.

The creation of this series was overseen by our chief electronics engineer at the time, George Cole. (He was also the architect of the TR amp series.) He is also a superb bass player and worked with many of the greats in the past. As such there were a number of little "quirks" or optimizations he proposed and/or introduced on these instruments. The pickup design is utterly elegant, with a single coil fitted around a bar magnet that rests against the steel frame, that then become two poles pieces at each our edge of the pickup. The design not only shields the coil very well, it has a pseudo-humbucking effect that doesn't change the single coil sound.

Some other features are the lead weights under the fingerboard to put extra mass precisely where needed to even out the notes across the fingerboard. (That technique was expanded to the 4000 series for awhile too.)

Anyway, he may well have been experimenting with the coupling of the bridge directly to the wood for all I know but it must not have been throughout production since, as I mentioned before, neither my 3000 (PCxxxx) nor 3001 (QExxxx) has this feature.

Thanks, Mr. Hall, for that information. Things I never knew. Especially the lead weights under the fingerboard! Wow. I've never heard of that before.

It really is a great bass; slightly heavy, but a fabulous neck and, to my ears, the perfect electric bass sound. (Which, of course, is a matter of opinion!!)

Sorry if the above sounded a little off, it was not meant that way at all! Just really trying to get to the bottom of this issue as someone else out there may have the same problem and it would be nice to put this one to rest. It sounds like there is a question as to if it came out the factory like this and if so that it was only done on a 3001 and not on a 4000 series bass, anyway who knows or cares, these are one hell of a bass so buy one if you get the chance.

johnhall wrote:The creation of this series was overseen by our chief electronics engineer at the time, George Cole. (He was also the architect of the TR amp series.) He is also a superb bass player and worked with many of the greats in the past. As such there were a number of little "quirks" or optimizations he proposed and/or introduced on these instruments. The pickup design is utterly elegant, with a single coil fitted around a bar magnet that rests against the steel frame, that then become two poles pieces at each our edge of the pickup. The design not only shields the coil very well, it has a pseudo-humbucking effect that doesn't change the single coil sound.

Some other features are the lead weights under the fingerboard to put extra mass precisely where needed to even out the notes across the fingerboard. (That technique was expanded to the 4000 series for awhile too.)

Anyway, he may well have been experimenting with the coupling of the bridge directly to the wood for all I know but it must not have been throughout production since, as I mentioned before, neither my 3000 (PCxxxx) nor 3001 (QExxxx) has this feature.

And I didn't think I could love my 3001 more! Thanks John.

What a great post, I think everyone has learnt something from this one! The tailpiece is going to stop on, it' has no tail lift at all, the screws are longer so that explains that one, and the new tailpiece has now gone back. Anyway my next question is.......only joking

The lead weights revelation also helps explain why 3001's are so heavy too! But oh so worth it...

Heavy??!!?? "He's not heavy he's my brother...." lolol Really I enjoyed this posting too as I Love my 3001 too...Nice input Mr Hall. The bridge screw holes don't go thru my tail piece for the record also.

..and I thought I was the only one..
When I got my ´79 4001 I had to take it apart and clean it. When I took off the tailpiece I found the same holes and the screws going into the wood.
I showed it to the other Rickenbacker-Bassplayers I know and nobody had ever seen it before.
So its not only a 3001-thing!

It doesnt look like it was modified.

Hi Oli,
the loss of finish of the two additional holes seems a bit more than usual and the diameter of the allan screws, pointing towards a mod. So far I haven't seen any such holes on a stock Rick 4001 and I always applied the washer-mod on any of them immediately when I got them in my hands.

hmm, if you look at the rear holes there is more loss of finish too, I cant see a difference there.
When I think of the state the bass was in when I got it, its hard to believe the fomer owner ever
did anything constructive to the bass..the holes in the tailpiece look rather perfect to me, but
I may be wrong. Anyway all works and sounds great, I am just always curious!
By the way: the washer-mod wasnt necessary on that 4001, the tailpiece sits absolutely tight on the wood.
On my other Rics I used tongue depressors, hard wood and perfect fit for that place.